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Politics, negative ads, and business

Politics, negative ads, and losing trust

I’m always intrigued with presidential politics. Specifically, I like to watch how politicians — often with track records in a governor’s mansion, Congress, or even the White House — go about getting elected or re-elected. Maybe it’s the marketer in me, but I’m fascinated by the way the candidates position themselves to win an election. […]

Part-Time Employees Pose Full-Time Risks

Yesterday, we looked at some of the risks involved in employing temporary employees. Today, we’ll explain a few more, and we’ll tell you how you can attend a webinar next week to clear up the confusion—absolutely free.

Was Nurse Immunized from Discipline by Taking FMLA?

By David M. Stevens, Whiteford, Taylor & Preston Employers frequently experience heartburn when employees who have recently taken leave protected by the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) engage in conduct that warrants discipline or even termination. You are rightly concerned about the possibility that an employee in that situation may allege retaliation if you […]

Employee Cell Phone Use – Essential Policy Points

Cellular phone-toting employees can be quite a liability, as we saw in the last issue of the Advisor. Today we’ll look at some cell phone safety policy points and share some good news—your policies are already written! Here, from BLR’s SmartPolicies on CD, are crucial points to consider in creating your cell phone policy: Training. […]

Is Business Still Fun?

The other day I was having a conversation with a friend and colleague — more friend than colleague. We were discussing the economy, business, and some of the challenges we’re experiencing at our company. As we wrapped up our conversation and I headed for the door, he asked me, “Are you all right?” His question […]

1000 Readers Tell Us About their Benefits Communication Programs

By Stephen D. Bruce, PHR Editor, HR Daily Advisor Just My E-pinion Benefits communication is especially critical these days—with little going on in the raise department, employers need to be sure that employees truly appreciate the cost of the benefits they’re getting. Last month we surveyed our readers to see how they are doing it. […]

Controversial LAWA Upheld by Ninth Circuit

The Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld the controversial Legal Arizona Workers Act (LAWA). Under the LAWA, which took effect January 1, 2008, a business found guilty of “knowingly” or “intentionally” hiring undocumented workers faces suspension or revocation of its business license and is placed on probationary status for a period of time. […]

Jerks at Work—You Can Deal with Them

What do you do with jerks at work, especially when they claim protection as whistleblowers or as members of protected classes? There are steps you can take, says attorney Jathan Janove. In fact, you can discipline and ultimately, if necessary, terminate your jerks, says Janove, a partner in the Portland, Oregon, office of Ater Wynne […]

Stay One Step Ahead of the Misclassification Police

What do short stories by O. Henry and independent contractor analysis have in common? You’re left guessing the outcome until the very end, says attorney Deanna Brinkerhoff. The federal Department of Labor (DOL) is cracking down on classification, and that makes now an excellent time to evaluate your organization’s classification decisions.

The HR Podcast … Better Communication in Just 3 Minutes

By BLR Founder and CEO Bob Brady Want to improve communication at your workplace? BLR’s CEO tells you how we do it in just 3 minutes a week. As regular readers of this column know, internal communication–up, down, and across–is always at the top of the agenda at BLR (and, I suspect, in many of […]